Minotaur
Appearance History Origins Minotaur were were once a race that dwelt deep beneath the surface. They did not dig like the dwarves nor did they plot and scheme like the drow. Their purpose was to wage war. and to slaughter all before them. The Lord of Beasts, Baphoment, created them to be the beasts of beasts, and in this he was successful. There were several tribes, some of which claim to exist today as the clans. These tribes warred against each other for the sake of battle. They are called the Minak'taur, the ones without honor. They were savage and barbaric. They waged war against all they came across, even other races in the dark. Little to nothing is known of the details of this period of time. The Rise Everything changed when the shamans appeared. No one is quite sure where they came from, but what is believed is that the Earthmother herself sent them to lead them to glory. The shamans calmed the tribes and taught them about honor and the five tenets. They gathered the minotaur and lead them away from the underdark and from Baphomet. They rose from the darkness and came to the surface. This day is still celebrated as Ascension Day within the minotaur culture. They found that their home was an island and on it were great beasts that they could use to prove their might. They began hunting these beasts. The tribes knew honor and glory for the first time. They honored their ancestors and the spirits of nature and respected the land. These were the first true minotaur, the ones with honor. Other History Recent History Society & Culture Society The page talks about the true minotaur of Kalador. Minotaur see other minotaur as Minak'taur even though the others consider themselves minotaur. For these minotaur see pages minotaur (Draemon) and minotaur (ultramar). The Five Tenets of Honor #'Honor in Blood:' Honor your blood and those that gave it. Honor your family, for they are your blood. #'Honor in Life:' Honor life, for it is eternal. The circle will never break. #'Honor in Battle:' Honor your war and fight it bravely. Shed blood and take life with honor, for one day the earth will know your blood. #'Honor in Nature:' Honor the Earthmother. She gives all life and she can take it. #'Honor in Death:' Honor your death. It is the only one you may be given. Religion Prior to the rise, it is thought that the minotaur worshiped the demon prince of beasts. After the Earthmother sent the first shamans their religion changed and their culture along with it. Minotaur have two major religions, shamanism and the Church of Kaz, with shamanism being by far the dominant religion. The Church of Kaz exists almost completely within the capital of Maetok and is rarely seen throughout the rest of the island. Shamanism Shamans are the life blood of minotaur culture and religion. Minotaur shamans believe that spirits are in all things. There are elemental spirits in nature. Every rock, tree, flame, and animal all have a spirit. Their spirit is transferred into the materials they make out of them as long as it is done correctly. This doesn't disrupt the spirit as long as the correct ritual is followed. Because of this, their homes, tools, furniture, and weapons all have spirits too. They also revere their ancestors and ancestor worship is included into the spirits they worship. Church of Kaz The Maetok clan is the only clan with the Church of Kaz. They worship and revere him as their God-King and savior. He freed them from bondage by the Drow and their underlings. Clans Minotaur are commonly divided up between clans. While Kalador once was home to many clans, it is not unified into one clan with many vassal clans. Other clans exist beyond Kalaor, but are rare. *Maetok - The clan of Kaz, it was formed when Kaz liberated Kalador from Drow enslavement. He unified the clans and created a capitol city named after himself. Kaz's grandson is now the clan's leader. While the Maetok do not rule over Kalador and the other Minotaur, they are looked to as a leadership role. *Aeshta - The Aeshta are a large and powerful clan in eastern Kalador. They are devout to the Earthmother, some even may call them zealots. *B'tol - The B'tol live in the further north Western region if Kalador. The are the largest clan on Kalador and command the largest number of trained troops. They are loyal to the Maetok, which is good considering they could likely overthrow their rulership. *Kal'ri - One of the largest clans, the Kal'ri run the adamatine mines as well as several dinosaur ranches in the west. Their guards are the most well equipped and trained due to the need to protect the mines *Ki'Mahl - The Ki'Mahl have dedicated themselves to seclusional worship of the elemental lords within the eastern region of the Crystal Mist Mountains. Relations Adventurers Minotaur who choose to become adventurers do so typically to find one's self. When a minotaur comes of age he must make a journey to find his purpose in life. This journey can, at times, take him off of the island home of Kalador. A minotaur may also adventure to find honor in far lands. Minotaur prefer combat to discussion, but can find the wisdom in talks before exhibiting force. The minotaur will defend his honor, to the death if need be. Alchemist: Although not undeard of, a minotaur alchemist is a rare sight. Herbs and resources required to fully delve into the alchemical arts are not very common on their home island. Also minotaur tend to lack skill in the arcane arts, usually favoring the divine. Those who do take up the alchemist ways usually adventure away from their home to find more resources and to help their land and families. Arcanist: Minotaur arcanists are practically non-existant. The minotaur believe arcane magic is taboo, and no where on the island has any training for anyone who wishes to become one. If a minotaur wishes to be an arcanist, he must seek out training elsewhere. Barbarian: Minotaur barbarians typically live in the wild plains of their homeland and follow the teachings of shamans. Barbarians leave their home to find honor and glory or to see the world. Bard: The idea of a minotaur bard is laughable to most. Those who do become bards leave their homes to tell tales of powerful minotaur of their past, especially those of his family line. Bloodrager: Like all arcane casters, there are not many bloodragers among the minotaur population. They do not possess arcane bloodlines that spark any sort of arcane power within, making bloodragers exceedingly rare. Brawler: Brawler minotaur are seen as strong warriors and are honored as such. Any minotaur brawler adventuring does so for the same reason any minotaur would leave and adventure, to find strength and honor. Cavalaier: '''The idea of a knight is foreign to a minotaur but honor is not. Minotaur cavaliers tend to join orders outside of their home in hopes of achieving great honor so they might be recognized as a proud and honorable warrior to their homeland. '''Cleric: Clerics are a bit of an oddity in minotaur culture. Before Kaz ascended, clerics were unheard of. Kaz is the only true deity worshiped by minotaur as a whole and the majority of minotaur clerics worship him. Minotaur may worship other clerics but don't typically do so in their homeland. Druid: Minotaur druids are usually referred to as shamans by other minotaur. Minotaur worship nature and Gaia as one entity. All things have a spirit and should be honored. Minotaur druids usually use the Plains Druid or Animal Shaman alternate class abilities and normally take the Plans domain. There are some Swamp and Mountain Druids as well, although they are uncommon and tend to stay to the eastern shores of the island. Fighter: Minotaur fighters are quite common. Minotaur love the exhilaration of battle. Indeed, the stereotypical minotaur is that of a fighter wielding a giant great axe, smashing his foes beneath him. Most fighters leave home for the same reason as other minotaur -- to find honor and glory. Hunter: Minotaur hunters are relatively common, as they hold a deep connection to nature and are also well known for their ability to hunt. Inquisitor: The church of Kaz doesn't normally make use of inquisitors, valuing individual rights and personal honor. However rare, they do exist and while most minotaur do not care for them, they are respected. Investigator: While uncommon, it isn't completely unheard of for a minotaur to delve into the investigative arts. Most of these minotaur live within Maetok or other larger cities outside of Kalador, as their services would be less useful within the smaller towns of the Kalador wilds. Monk: Minotaur favor inner strength as well as physical power. Those who focus on their inner strength are thought of as just as strong as those that focus on their physical bodies. A minotaur monk often focuses on the natural cycle of life and personal honor. Oracle: '''Not many minotaur are found to be oracles. It is not common for a minotaur to be blessed with the abilities and power of the keepers of mystery. The minotaur history is very well known and there isn't much hidden. Those that are, commonly find themselves elevated in status and revered. '''Paladin: Few minotaur take up the guise of a lawful hero for good. The idea of minotaur honor does not fit very well with a paladin's code. This doesn't mean that they don't exist, they just tend to seek honor in a different way than traditional minotaur. Ranger: '''Ranger minotaur are commonly used as scouts and hunters for the tribe. Their skills rival those of the greatest elven rangers of history. '''Rogue: While thieves, scoundrels, and swashbucklers are rare in minotaur society, rogues are normally seen as scouts, although rangers are more common in this role. Shaman: '''Minotaur are the most common religious figures among the clans as are the central point to their religion. Shamans are highly respected individuals and command the utmost respect from other minotaur. The reverence for shamans is so great that it is rare to see a minotaur attack a shaman, even in self defense. Even if the need to regain ones honor is on the line, it is typically seen as highly dishonorable to attack a shaman. Shamans saved the minotaur from the Lord of Beats, and no one will ever forget that. '''Sorcerer: Rarely do minotaur possess a bloodline that would imbue a child with innate arcane power. When one is found, they are shunned and called cursed by nature. The view of arcane magic is that of evil in most minotaur cultures. Those that have been shunned and somehow live, adventure to obtain power and honor for themselves in hopes to one day return home, whether to regain honor, or to exact revenge. Summoner: Like sorcerers, summoners are shunned by minotaur society. One who studies the arts of the arcane and possesses minotaur blood is commonly banished from their home. Minotaur summoners seek honor and power from other sources that are less common from others of its kind. Skald: Just lke all other arcane casters, Skald are less than welcome in Kalador. Seen with skepticism and ridicule, arcane casters are shunned by most. This isn't to say that they don't exist. The life of a skald can be appealing to some. They have a great respect and pride for their history and also for combat. A warrior story teller isn't too far fetched for a minotaur. Slayer: Some minotaur have trained as slayers for hunting purposes. While the minotaur criminal system is primitive and rarely utilized, they do require individuals to hunt down these criminals from time to time. Swashbuckler: '''Given minotaur's love for the open planes, many would think that the life of a swashbuckler wouldn't be favored by the large bull-men. However, they do live on an island and are members of the UKF. This has lead many minotaur to take up the profession of a sailor and travel Keenar. '''Warpriest: Just like clerics, almost all minotaur warpriests are dedicated to the worship of Kaz. He is their patron and he favors strength, thus warpriests align with his spheres perfectly. Warpriests are just as revered as clerics, and the vast majority of minotaur cannot tell the difference. Witch: Like with other arcane casters, witches are typically shunned for their art by their people. A minotaur witch tends to have ties with forces that have great strength and power in hopes to gain greater strength for themselves. Wizard: Minotaur cannot learn the arcane arts from their home. They would have to seek training from other sources. While Kaz opened the Minotaur's eyes to the arcane arts and removed a lot of superstition, it is still common for a minotaur that studies the arcane to be dishonored and banished. Minotaur that become wizards are very uncommon, however those that do study the arcane seek a greater power and strength than would be possible with a normal axe. Racial Traits *'+8 Strength, -2 Dexterity, +4 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma' *'Large: '''A minotaur is large size, gaining a +1 to CMB and CMD. They gain a -1 to attacks an AC, and a -4 to stealth checks. In addition, their fighting square is 10' x 10' and they have a 10' reach. *'Fast Movement:' Minotaur have a base speed of 40'. *'+5 Natural Armor:' A Minotaur's hide is think enough to stop strong blows. *'Gore:' Minotaur can use their horns to gore others. Their horns deal 1d8 points of damage and are a primary natural attack. They also possess the powerful charge special attack, dealing 2d8 + 1.5 Str modifier. *'Darkvision:' Minotaur have darkvision of 60'. *'Low-light Vision: Minotaur can see twice as far a human in low light. *'Minotaur Senses: '''Minotaur have sharp senses and gain +4 Perception. They also are very adept in the wild and receive a +2 to survival. *'Natural Cunning: Minotaur can never be caught flat footed and can never get lost. *'Weapon Familiarity: '''Minotaur are proficient with great-axes and any weapon with the word 'minotaur' in its name. Alternate Racial Traits Due to blood or how they were raised, some minotaur have different racial traits. *'Adamantine Miner:' For many generations your family has worked the adamantine mines of Rik'dohka. You gain a +2 bonus on all Craft and Profession checks when working with metal. You also gain a +4 to Survival checks when under ground. This replaces the Minotaur Senses racial trait. *'Deep Dweller:' Your family has not evolved from the times your people lived in the Underdark and probably still live in caves and work mines. You have a better than normal ability to see in the dark. You have darkvision 120'. This ability replaces Darkvision and Low-Light Vision racial traits. *'Surface Hunter:' Through many generations of living in the open the need to see in pitch darkness has diminished. Your abilities to hunt in the open plains have improved and your sensed along with it. You have Scent. This replaces the Darkvision racial trait. Subraces Favored Class Options *'Barbarian:' Add 1 round to the number of rounds the barbarian can rage per day. *'Cleric:' Select one domain power at 1st level that is normally usable a number of times per day equal to 3 + the cleric's Wisdom modifier. The cleric adds +1/2 to the number of uses per day of that domain power. *'Druid': Add 1 to the druid's movement speed. When the druid reaches 5, he moves one additional squad. *'Fighter:' Add +1 to CMD to resist bull rush and sunder. *'Ranger:''' Add +1 hp to the ranger's animal companion. Category:Races